Dispensing device

ABSTRACT

A dispensing device comprises a cap ( 1 ) attachable to a container, the device being configured to dispense a liquid ingredient into the container, the device including at least one plunger ( 13 ) and at least one cylinder. The plunger arranged to slide in a respective cylinder, is substantially hollow having a closed end ( 15 ) and an open end ( 17 ), the open end ( 17 ) having a peripheral edge, and the peripheral edge being adapted such that the surface tension of the liquid in the region of the open end ( 17 ) is disrupted.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to dispensing devices, and in particular to dispensing devices for containing and dispensing ingredients into a container to which the dispensing device is attached.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flavoured drinks are well known. Such drinks may be squash type drinks or flavoured water drinks. Such drinks are not ideal for a number of reasons. For example, once mixed with water the flavour may degrade, meaning that when ultimately consumed, the drink is not as good as if it had been consumed immediately after mixing the flavouring with the water. Also, an individual consumer is unable to control the concentration of flavouring in the drink He must simply buy what is on offer. Further, the shelf-life of a flavoured drink when mixed with water may be shorter than the shelf-life of the flavouring and/or the bottled water.

Although the problem as described is in relation to bottled water, it may also be applied where an ingredient is to be mixed with a fluid other than water. For example, the addition of concentrate or a catalyst to a bulk product, such as the addition of a medical compound to another product.

The above-mentioned problems are known in the prior art.

WO 2008/110767 describes a number of different possible embodiments of dispensing devices, each providing for an individually contained concentrate to be dispensed into a body of liquid, typically water. For example, in some of the embodiments, the concentrate is stored in blister packs. The consumer simply breaks the blister to release the concentrate. However, the devices disclosed present complexities in their manufacture. Also, with some concentrates, for reasons of safety it is necessary to store them in a condition of dilution below a certain threshold, otherwise if accidentally drunk by a child for example, the child may be made ill.

Other devices are known in the art.

One such device is described in WO2008/124630. One device comprises a piston slidably mounted in a cylinder. The cylinder is sealed at one end by a foil, and the piston is provided with a sharp edge to remove the foil from the cylinder. The piston is hollow and the concentrate is stored in the piston. In another device described in this patent application the piston is adapted to contain a concentrate in solid form, that is in the form of small spheres. In yet another device described in this patent application a number of different types of concentrate are stored in a cylinder which is divided radially into compartments, sealed at both ends. A hollow perforator is mounted above the compartments and is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the cylinder in order that a sharp part of the perforator may be aligned with the desired compartment. Once aligned, the hollow perforator is pushed towards the desired compartment, breaking the seals and allowing the concentrate to escape therefrom. This latter embodiment includes multiple components an would therefore be expensive to manufacture.

It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved dispensing device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a dispensing device comprising a cap attachable to a container, wherein the device is configured to dispense a liquid ingredient into the container, the device including at least one plunger and at least one cylinder, the at least one plunger being arranged to slide in a respective at least one cylinder, wherein the at least one plunger having a closed end and an open end and a hollow portion forming at least a part of a reservoir for storing said ingredient, and wherein the open end has a peripheral edge, and the peripheral edge is adapted such that the surface tension of the liquid in the region of the open end is disrupted.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a dispensing device comprising a cap attachable to a container, wherein the device is configured to dispense an ingredient, which may be a liquid, into the container, the device including at least two plungers and at least two cylinders, each plunger being arranged to slide in a respective cylinder, each plunger having a closed end and an open end and a hollow portion forming at least a part of a reservoir for storing said ingredient, and wherein the at least two cylinders are sealed by a common seal and wherein the plungers are adapted to break the part of the seal which seals the cylinder with which the plunger slides without compromising the sealing of other cylinder(s).

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a dispensing device comprising a cap attachable to a container, wherein the device is configured to dispense an ingredient, which may be a liquid, into the container, the device including at least one plunger and at least one cylinder, the at least one plunger being arranged to slide in a respective at least one cylinder, the at least one plunger having a closed end and an open end and a hollow portion forming at least a part of a reservoir for storing said ingredient, and wherein the plunger includes a first part and a second part and the cylinder includes corresponding first and second parts, and wherein the first part of the plunger is a push fit in the corresponding first part of the cylinder and wherein the outer surface second part of the plunger and the inner surface of the second part of the cylinder are separated by a small gap.

Where the ingredient is not a liquid, it may be powder, or a pill(s) or other solid form. Where the ingredient is a liquid, it may also be a syrup or a gel.

Preferably, the first part of the cylinder includes a wall having a triangular cross-section. In use, as the first part of the plunger passes through the first part of the cylinder, the first part of the cylinder deforms at least at the tip of the triangular cross-section wall.

Preferably, the surface of the open end lies at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the plunger. The wall of the plunger is hence shorter on one side than the other, thereby disrupting the surface tension of the liquid in the region of the open end. This permits egress of the liquid from the plunger.

The open end preferably lies at an angle in the range 15 to 75 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the plunger. More preferably, the open end preferably lies at an angle in the range 30 to 60 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the plunger, and still more preferably, the open end lies at an angle in the range 40 to 50 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the plunger, and most preferably at 45 degrees.

The at least two cylinders may be comprised by a tube having an outer wall having internal and external surfaces and one or more dividing walls extending between internal surfaces of the outer wall, or extending radially to the internal surfaces of the outer wall from a point inward of the said internal surfaces of the outer wall. In such a way any number of equal or unequal sized cylinders may be provided. The outer wall is preferably substantially circular in cross-section. Advantageously, two cylinders are provided by a dividing wall extending between internal surfaces of the outer wall thereby dividing the tube into two parts.

Advantageously, the first part of the plunger is curved continuously in cross-section, and preferably is substantially circular in cross-section. This provides the advantage that the plunger and cylinder are easier to seal. Preferably, the cross-sectional area of the first part of the plunger is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the plunger.

Advantageously, the second part of the cylinder includes at least one planar portion.

Preferably, the open end of the plunger lies at an angle such that the lower edge of the wall adjacent the inner surface of the wall forming the tube is lower than the lower edge of the wall adjacent the dividing wall. In this way, when the plunger is depressed, the seal is first engaged to the outside of the cylinder, and hence the seal is penetrated at that point. Due to the angled nature of the open end of the plunger, as the plunger is depressed further an increasing part of the plunger penetrates the seal and a larger opening in the seal is made. This provides the advantage that the seal penetrated gradually, reducing the chance of the attachment of seal to the cylinder being compromised.

Advantageously, the height of the first part of the plunger extending above the first part of the cylinder, with the device in its pre-dispensing condition, is greater than or equal to the distance between the lower edge of the shortest side of the plunger wall and the seal.

Where more than one plunger is provided, the plungers may provide the same or different capacities.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided at least one element extending upward from a top wall of the cap, the height of the element being greater than or equal to the height of the at least one plunger above the same top wall, and/or being situated between adjacent plungers. The element may include a first part of a locking means, and the cap may mount a closure member including a second part of the locking means, the two parts co-operating to lock the closure member in a closed state. The first part may comprise a detent in the said element.

Preferably, the device is formed from a plastics material.

The hollow part of the plunger and the cylinder in which it is situated form a reservoir into which ingredients introduced.

The whole plunger may be hollow.

The first part of the plunger may be solid rather than hollow, thereby reducing the possibility of ingredient stored in the hollow part of the plunger being retained after breaking of the seal, which could occur where the cross-sectional area of the first part of the plunger is small.

The volume of the hollow part of the plunger may be determined by the wall thickness and shape of the plunger.

The procedure for assembling the device and filling the reservoirs is as follows:

The cap is supported in an inverted state. Plungers are presented up to and inserted into the cylinders formed in the cap. The resulting reservoirs are filled with ingredient, such as a liquid flavouring. The reservoir(s) are sealed, for example with foil seal. The seal may be welded to the lower edges of the cylinder(s).

The device is then attached to a container. When purchased by a consumer, the consumer removes any tamper seals necessary to gain access to the plungers and depresses the desired plunger(s) to release the ingredient contained in the plunger into the liquid in the container.

The device of the present invention includes fewer moving parts than other devices in the art. Further, the capacities of individual ingredient reservoirs may be maximised by the adoption of plungers having two parts each of a different shape and configuration. The configuration of the open end of the plunger provides the advantage that the surface tension at the open end is asymmetric, allowing liquid to flow from the plunger which has a closed end. Further, the manner in which the seal is broken means that the seal associated with another plunger is not comprised.

The device in its various configurations has application not only in the drinks industry, but also the pharmaceuticals and chemicals industries. In fact, the device has application wherever it is necessary or desirable to mix an ingredient with a liquid just prior to its use.

In the context of this description, parts of one embodiment may be used with parts of another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, and are by way of example only:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a dispensing device according to the invention in a first configuration;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the dispensing device illustrated in FIG. 1 in a second configuration;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional representation of the device as configured in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is cross-sectional representation of the device as configured in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, illustrating the underside thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, showing a tamper seal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, there is shown a dispensing device suitable for attachment to a container (not shown). The device, when attached to the container, forms the closure thereof.

The device comprises a cap 1 having a side wall 2, which in this illustrated example are internally threaded 3. Many other known arrangements for attaching the cap 1 to containers exist and may be used in place of a screw fitting. Depending from the underside of the side wall 2 is a seal 3 which breaks away from the side wall 2 when the cap is rotated due to the threads 3 causing the cap to lift away from the seal 3. Such an arrangement is well known in the art and does not itself form part of the invention.

The cap 1 includes a top wall 7 in which are located a pair of apertures 8 in each of which is located a plunger 13. The plunger 13 is closed at one end 15 and open at the other end 17. Further, the plunger comprises two parts 14, 16, each having a different cross-sectional shape, and providing a different function. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the part 14 of the plunger is substantially circular in cross-section. The part 16 is substantially D-shaped in cross-section, comprising a curved wall 16′ and a planar wall 16″. The part 14 may be hollow or solid. It may be desirable for the part 14 to be solid to remove the risk of ingredient being retained in the first part 14 following release of ingredient from the second part 16.

The plungers 13 are housed in cylinders defined by an outer wall 9 which forms a tube having a substantially circular cross-section and a planar wall 10 extending across the diameter of the tube, thereby defining two substantially D-shaped cylinders. In cross-section, the external dimensions of the D-shaped parts 16 of the plunger are slightly smaller than internal cross-sectional dimension of the D-shaped cylinders, thereby providing for the D-shaped parts 16 of the plungers to slide easily in the cylinders.

The part 14 of the plunger is configured to slide in an aperture in the wall 7 of the cap. The aperture is defined by a wall 8, which extends above the upper surface of the wall 7. The wall 8 is substantially triangular in cross-section. The circle defined by the tip of the wall 8 lying substantially parallel with the wall 7 has an internal cross-sectional diameter slightly less than the external cross-sectional diameter of the part 14. When the part 14 is inserted through the aperture, the wall 8 is deformed, the reducing thickness thereof providing for such deformation. The internal diameter of the wall 8 in the region of the step 11 between the aperture and the D-shaped cylinder is substantially the same as the external diameter of the part 14. Hence, a liquid tight seal is provided between the plunger and the cylinder over the height of the wall 8, which is relatively short. The frictional force generated by this sealing arrangement can easily be overcome by the force exerted by a human pressing on the closed end 15 of the plunger. Were the D-shaped part 16 of the plunger also an interference fit, the frictional forces generated between the plunger and the piston may be too great for the device to be convenient to use by consumers.

The cap 1 is assembled, filled and sealed in an inverted orientation. To assemble the cap the plungers 13 are inserted into the cylinders. In the illustrated example, reservoirs for receiving liquid are created by the hollow plungers 13 and the part of the cylinders not occupied by the plungers. The reservoirs are filled with liquid and then a foil seal 12 is attached to the end faces 9′ and 10′ of the walls 9 and 10 respectively to seal the reservoirs. The foil is sealed to the end faces by means of heat welding.

In the context of drinks, reasons for providing more than one reservoir include offering consumers a choice of flavours, offering consumers a choice of sweetness or sweetener type for example. In this context it is therefore important that breaking the seal to permit egress of fluid from one reservoir does not break the seal in a manner which permits egress of fluid from another reservoir.

As can be seen from FIGS. 3 to 5 in particular, the open end 17 of the plunger 13 is formed such that wall 16″ is shorter than the wall 16′. In the example the open end 17 forms an acute angle to the plane of the seal 12. Due to the wall 16′ being curved, the angled surface generates a tip 16 a (see FIG. 5). When the plunger 13 is depressed, it is the tip 19 that engages with the seal 12. Hence, the force applied to the plunger is exerted on the seal 12 over the area of contact between the tip and the seal, which is small compared to the total cross-sectional area of the wall 16′, 16″. By applying the force over the very small surface area of the tip 19, the seal is pierced, rather than the attachment between the seal and the edges 9′, 10′ being broken. Another feature of the illustrated example is that the dimensions of the parts 14 and 16 of the plungers are such that when fully depressed (the configuration of the right hand plunger 13 in FIG. 4) the bottom edge 17 of the wall 16″ extends beyond the edge 10′ of the wall 10. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the seal 12 is cut by the lower edge 17 of the curved wall 16′, but not by the lower edge 17 of the wall 16″ which instead simply pushes the resulting flap 12′ of seal 12 downward, thereby allowing liquid to flow freely from the plunger 13.

By creating a non-planar opening at the open end of the plunger the surface tension around the body of liquid contained in the plunger in the region of the opening is unequal. This allows the liquid in the plunger to flow out when the seal 12 is broken without the necessity of a breather aperture in the plunger upstream of the open end. Such breather apertures are undesirable, particularly where the liquid in the container to which the device is to be attached is carbonated. If the container had been shaken and the plunger included a breather, piercing the seal 12 may result in the liquid contained in the plunger being expelled through the breather.

Referring in particular to FIG. 1, it can be seen that two elements 18 extend upward from the top wall 7. These elements 18 perform a number of functions. First, they prevent a consumer from inadvertently depressing both plungers 13 when intending to depress only one. Second, they protect the plungers 13 from being depressed by pressure being exerted on the cap 5, for example when containers are stacked or after sale when stored in a consumer's bag for instance, and third, the front element includes a detent 19 which engages with a protrusion 20 of the cap 5 to hold the cap 5 shut after the tamper seal 21 (see FIG. 6) has been removed. 

1. A dispensing device comprising a cap attachable to, a container, wherein the device is configured to dispense a liquid ingredient into the container, the device including at least one plunger and at least one cylinder, the at least one plunger being arranged to slide in a respective at least one cylinder, wherein the at least one plunger having a closed end and an open end and a hollow portion forming at least a part of a reservoir for storing said ingredient, and wherein the open end has a peripheral edge, and the peripheral edge is adapted such that the surface tension of the liquid in the region of the open end is disrupted.
 2. A dispensing device comprising a cap attachable to a container, wherein the device is configured to dispense an ingredient, which may be a liquid, into the container, the device including at least two plungers and at least two cylinders, each plunger being arranged to slide in a respective cylinder, each plunger having a closed end and an open end and a hollow portion forming at least a part of a reservoir for storing said ingredient, and wherein the at least two cylinders are sealed by a common seal and wherein the plungers are adapted to break the part of the seal which seals the cylinder with which the plunger slides without compromising the sealing of other cylinder(s).
 3. A dispensing device comprising a cap attachable to a container, wherein the device is configured to dispense an ingredient, which may be a liquid, into the container, the device including at least one plunger and at least one cylinder, the at least one plunger being arranged to slide in a respective at least one cylinder, the at least one plunger having a closed end and an open end and a hollow portion forming at least a part of a reservoir for storing said ingredient, and wherein the plunger includes a first part and a second part and the cylinder includes corresponding first and second parts, and wherein the first part of the plunger is a push fit in the corresponding first part of the cylinder and wherein the outer surface second part of the plunger and the inner surface of the second part of the cylinder are separated by a small gap.
 4. A dispensing device according to any preceding claim claim 1, the first part of the cylinder includes a wall having a triangular cross-section.
 5. A dispensing device according to claim 4, wherein at least the tip of the triangular cross-section wall is deformable.
 6. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the plunger includes a first part and a second part and the cylinder includes corresponding first and second parts, and wherein the first part of the plunger is a push fit in the corresponding first part of the cylinder and wherein the outer surface second part of the plunger and the inner surface of the second part of the cylinder are separated by a small gap.
 7. A dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the open end has a peripheral edge, and the peripheral edge is adapted such that the surface tension of the liquid in the region of the open end is disrupted.
 8. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the open end of the plunger lies at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the plunger, the angle being selected from the group comprising: in the range of 15 to 75 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the plunger, in the range 30 to 60 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the plunger, in the range 40 to 50 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the plunger, and 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the plunger.
 9. (canceled)
 10. (canceled)
 11. (canceled)
 12. (canceled)
 13. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cylinders are comprised by a tube having an outer wall having internal and external surfaces and at least one dividing wall extending radially to the internal surfaces of the outer wall from a point inward of the said internal surfaces of the outer wall.
 14. (canceled)
 15. (canceled)
 16. (canceled)
 17. (canceled)
 18. A dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein the cross-sectional area of the first part of the plunger is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the second part of the plunger.
 19. A dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein the second part of the cylinder includes at least one planar portion.
 20. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the open end of the plunger lies at an angle such that the lower edge of the wall adjacent the inner surface of the wall forming the tube is lower than the lower edge of the wall adjacent the dividing wall.
 21. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the height of the first part of the plunger extending above the first part of the cylinder, with the device in its pre-dispensing condition, is greater than or equal to the distance between the lower edge of the shortest side of the plunger wall and the seal.
 22. (canceled)
 23. (canceled)
 24. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein there is provided at least one element extending upward from a top wall of the cap, the height of the element being greater than or equal to the height of the at least one plunger above the same top wall.
 25. (canceled)
 26. A dispensing device according to claim 1, including a closure member and a locking means adapted to lock the closure member in a closed state.
 27. A dispensing device according to claim 14, the element includes a first part of the locking means.
 28. A dispensing device according to claim 15, wherein the cap mounts a closure member including a second part of the locking means, the two parts co-operating to lock the closure member in a closed state.
 29. (canceled)
 30. (canceled)
 31. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the plunger includes a hollow part and a non-hollow part.
 32. A dispensing device according to claim 18, wherein the first part of the plunger is non-hollow.
 33. (canceled)
 34. (canceled)
 35. A dispensing device according to claim 1, and a container, the container having an open end, the dispensing device attached to the open end of the container.
 36. (canceled) 